Newcomers Engineer Language Activities for Bilingual Kindergartners

Timberline PK-8's Newcomers (6th-8th grade students who have been in the United States less than a year) completed a STEM design challenge in November. They interviewed bilingual kindergartners to find out what kinds of games and acivities they like. They also asked about the types of words kindergartners need to know.

Next, they planned and created a game or activity to teach the kindergarteners vocabulary in both English and Spanish.

When the games were ready, the newcomers taught the kindergarteners how to use the new game or activity.

The kindergarteners were very happy with the results, but also offered feedback like "add more color" and "have more choices". Perhaps most impressive is the fact that the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in the newcomer program wrote their plans, designs, and reflections in both their native language and English!

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